WWE Extreme Rules 2016: Top Winners and Losers from PPV

After a disappointing edition of WWE Payback last month, Sunday night's Extreme Rules pay-per-view felt like a massive step forward.

There were some fantastic matches throughout the course of the night, and the show should generally be considered a success.

With the dramatic return of Seth Rollins to close the show, it will be intriguing to see what lies ahead for WWE in its self-titled New Era.

But alas, Extreme Rules wasn't a success for everyone.

Here are the biggest winners and losers from an action-packed night at Extreme Rules.

Loser: Natalya

Credit: WWE.com

Yet again, WWE went down the controversial route for the Women's Championship match—and this one will hurt Natalya.

She deserved another shot at Extreme Rules after the awful ending at Payback, when referee Charles Robinson screwed her by saying she'd tapped out to Charlotte.

But where does Natalya go from here after being screwed by, of all people, Dana Brooke? The unfortunate answer is to the back of the line.

Many expected Charlotte to emerge victorious, as it means the dream match between her and Sasha Banks remains in the cards.

But the spotlight here is on Natalya, who, after holding up her end of a decent rivalry, has been left with nothing whatsoever to show for it.

Winner: The Miz

The undoubted match of the night was the Fatal 4-Way for the Intercontinental Championship—and The Miz's ability to escape with the title makes him a winner here.

Yes, he will drop the belt at some point. But although most of the expectations heading into this feud concerned how Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Sami Zayn would bring their exciting in-ring abilities to the contest, it shouldn't be forgotten that The Miz has played a fine role in this feud, too.

With Maryse alongside him again, he looks to have found his edge once more and is proving to be a fine heel champion.

He played his role throughout here, and with yet another crafty win at the expense of the other three men, it leaves the door open for the quartet to continue sparring for the Intercontinental Championship.

Loser: Dolph Ziggler

Where does Dolph Ziggler's WWE career go from here?

He was once again beaten on pay-per-view, this time with Baron Corbin handing him a loss on the pre-show before Extreme Rules had even begun.

It's an astonishing fall from grace for Ziggler, who is beginning to get lost in the shuffle with so much fresh talent on the main roster.

Losing to Corbin is nothing to be ashamed of, but the manner of the defeat and the fact it wasn't even on the main pay-per-view underline his place in the company right now.

Fans should worry what is next for Ziggler—a guy who once upon a time looked like he could become one of WWE's biggest stars.

Winner: Rusev

Credit: WWE.com

It may seem harsh on Kalisto to say this, but the United States Championship looked mighty fine over Rusev's shoulder after he picked up the win on Sunday.

The Bulgarian Brute looked like he was in a real predicament in terms of his WWE career after a couple of faulty storylines, the most recent of which being the disastrous League of Nations stable.

But he has responded incredibly and looks to have regained all the swagger and confidence that once made him a fearsome and exciting prospect.

Rusev's win at Extreme Rules was filled with many glimpses of his ability, talent and potential to make it to the top.

It seems inevitable that another rivalry with John Cena for the U.S. title is on the way—but it's imperative that WWE trust Rusev to get the job done and go over Cena.

Loser: AJ Styles

Given the explosive return of Seth Rollins to close the show, it's easy to get distracted by an obvious Rollins-Roman Reigns feud, but what's next for AJ Styles?

He has been a fantastic addition to the main event scene in recent weeks and has held up his end of the bargain by giving his tussles with Reigns everything he has.

The concern is that, knowing WWE's track record when it comes to booking, the company will quickly send Styles back down the card, and he will fade away.

That can't be allowed to happen—and the potential for WWE to stick The Club together and let it tear through the roster is now plain to see.

Two clean losses to Reigns have hampered him, but Styles can still move forward from here. However, Sunday night was a big negative for The Phenomenal One.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Credit: WWE.com

Given the approach WWE is taking with Roman Reigns—and the subsequent reaction he's getting from WWE fans—Seth Rollins must have known Sunday would be a big night for him.

The pop he got when he returned felt like a combination of joy in seeing him make it back from that serious knee injury coupled with a relief that someone is finally coming along to take down Reigns.

We're almost certainly getting Rollins vs. Reigns, probably all the way through to SummerSlam later this year, after Seth's explosive return following the main event.

The storyline writes itself, with Rollins seeking to get back the title he never lost and Reigns warning him that the company has moved on since he was at the top.

Hopefully Rollins is portrayed as the babyface, which would increase the chances of Reigns turning heel—but no matter how Seth is booked, it's just great to see him back.